West Virginia Labor History Association Votes Unanimously
to Support Preservation of Blair Mountain at Press Conference

[Charleston, WV April 24, 2007] The West Virginia Labor History =
Association=20
voted unanimously on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at its monthly board =
meeting=20
to support the preservation of the Blair Mountain battle site. There =
will be=20
a press conference in support of the nomination at noon on May 1 in the=20
lower rotunda of the State Capitol. Members of WVLHA will attent the =
press conference in support of preserving Blair Mountain, the site of =
one of America's greatest labor events. Between August 25 and September =
4, 1921 more than 10,000 armed coal miners marched to Blair Mountain to =
fight for their union and their lives.=20
Last year the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Blair =
Mountain as=20
one of the most endangered historic sites in America. =http://www.nationaltrust.org/11most/blair.html

The Blair Mountain site has been nominated for inclusion on the National =

Register several times since 1980. Due to boundary changes and the Park=20
Service's request for archaeological information, etc., none of these=20
nominations were completed. In May 2004 the WV Archives and History=20
Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the site be included on =
the=20
National Register. The application was sent to National Park Service in =
July=20
2005 and was returned to the State Historic Preservation Office in =
September=20
2005 with a request for additional information. The sponsors have since=20
completed improved mapping and extensive archaeological exploration that =

contributes to our understanding of the battle. The WV State Historic=20
Preservation Office will be completing their review of the nomination =
later=20
this month and will be forwarding the nomination to the National Park =
Service=20
for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

Regina Hendrix will deliver the announcement. Others to speak in support =
of=20
saving Blair Mountain include - Dr. Harvard Ayers, Appalachian State=20
University who will speak about the archaeology work which has been done =

recently; Dr. Barbara Rasmussen, historian from WV University; William =
C.=20
Blizzard, son of Bill Blizzard, the "general" of the miners' army at =
Blair=20
Mountain and recent inductee into the WV Labor Hall of Honor; Wess =
Harris,=20
board member of WVLHA and publisher of William C. Blizzard's book, "When =

Miners March;" and Kenny King, the man who has done more than anyone to =
show=20
the historic value of Blair Mountain and a lifelong resident of Logan =
County.

* Mother Jones was the second person inducted into the WV Labor History =
Hall
of Honor in 1980-after Walter Reuther. WVLHA is presently petitioning =
the US
Stamp Office to create stamps in honor of Mother Jones and Eugene Debs =
(who
is portrayed by Rick Wilson.) =20

* On May 12th, 2007 at 7 PM in conjunction with The South Charleston =
Museum,
WVLHA will present two new films on WV labor history. The first film, =
"The
Battle of Local 5668" directed by Shawn Bennett will have its =
Appalachian
premiere of a new film about the famous 1990 Ravenswood Aluminum =
Lockout.
(WVLHA inducted the entire local into its WV Labor Hall of Honor in =
1993.)
Mr. Bennett is a native of Parkersburg, WV who has been working in film =
for
years. He will be taping the world premiere event at The La Belle =
Theater
for use on the DVD release of the film. "AsturianUS" is a new film by
Spanish filmmaker Luis Argeo. This will be the American premiere of the =
film
that had its world premiere at The Gijon International Film Festival in
November 2006 to a sold-out audience. In 2005 Mr. Argeo traveled to West
Virginia to make a film about the Asturian communities in Harrison =
County at
Spelter and Anmore. WVPBS' Outlook program recently aired a story on the
making of this film. It can be seen at -http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=3DLuis+Argeo.%20%20%20%20.

The film will be presented at The Historic La Belle Theater in South =
Charleston, WV. 311 D Street, across from the public library.

* WVLHA will be a co-sponsor of the "Preservation Works for West =
Virginia"
conference to be held in Wheeling on May 17th-19th. Wess Harris, a board
member, will be one of the speakers. Website =
-http://www.pawv.org/conf07/conf07.htm

* WVLHA will be publishing a new book on ethnic West Virginia called =
"Ethnic
Sampler." Cathy Pleska, a WVLHA board member, is editing the chapter on
Greek West Virginians. WVLHA will be publishing the chapters on the =
Greek
community in WV and showing the film version of Christopher Janus's
autobiographical, "Goodbye, Miss Fourth of July" about growing up Greek =
in
Montgomery, WV.

* WVLHA will also be distributing its WV Labor History map to 8th grade
students throughout the state using funds given to the organization by =
Gov.Wise.

* Dr. Fred Barkey, president emeritus of WVLHA, was chosen to be a WV =
History
Hero by the WV State Archives in 2007. Steve Fesenmaier was chosen to be =
a
WV History Hero in 2006. Website - =http://www.wvculture.org/history/histhero.html

* Wess Harris, a WVLHA board member, recently planted a Service Berry =
tree at=20
the grave site of Cisco Estep who was murdered by the Bull Moose Special =
in=20
1913 during the WV Mine Wars. He died at Holly Grove on Paint Creek. =
Harris=20
has taken college students from Xavier and St. Louis Universities as =
well as=20
visiting Irish musicians whose music can be heard on the audio book of =
"When=20
Miners March" by William C. Blizzard.

For more info on WVLHA, contact president Gordon Simmons-304-344-2466.

[Charleston, WV April =
24,=20
2007] The West Virginia Labor History Association voted unanimously =
on=20
Saturday, April 21, 2007 at its monthly board meeting to support the =
preservation of the Blair Mountain battle site. There will be a =
press=20
conference in support of the nomination at noon on May 1 in the =
lower=20
rotunda of the State Capitol. Members of WVLHA will attent the press =
conference=20
in support ofpreserving=20
BlairMountain, the site of one of America's greatest labor =
events.=20
Between August 25 and September 4, 1921 more than 10,000 armed coal =
miners=20
marched to Blair=20
Mountain to fight =
for their=20
union and their lives. Last year the National Trust for Historic=20
Preservation listed Blair=20
Mountain as one of the =
most=20
endangered historic sites in America. http://www.nation=
altrust.org/11most/blair.html

The =
Blair =
Mountain site has been nominated =
for=20
inclusion on the National Register several times since 1980. Due to =
boundary=20
changes and the Park Service's request for archaeological =
information, etc.,=20
none of these nominations were completed. In May 2004 the WV =
Archives and=20
History Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the site be =
included=20
on the National Register. The application was sent to National Park =
Service=20
in July 2005 and was returned to the State Historic Preservation =
Office in=20
September 2005 with a request for additional information. The =
sponsors have=20
since completed improved mapping and extensive archaeological =
exploration=20
that contributes to our understanding of the battle. The WV State =
Historic=20
Preservation Office will be completing their review of the =
nomination later=20
this month and will be forwarding the nomination to the National =
Park=20
Service for placement on the National Register of Historic=20
Places.

Regina Hendrix will deliver the announcement. Others =
to speak=20
in support of saving Blair Mountain include - Dr. Harvard Ayers, =
Appalachian=20
State University who will speak about the archaeology work which has =
been=20
done recently; Dr. Barbara Rasmussen, historian from WV University; =
William=20
C. Blizzard, son of Bill Blizzard, the "general" of the miners' army =
at=20
Blair Mountain and recent inductee into the WV Labor Hall of Honor; =
Wess=20
Harris, board member of WVLHA and publisher of William C. Blizzard's =
book,=20
"When Miners March;" and Kenny King, the man who has done more than =
anyone=20
to show the historic value of Blair Mountain and a lifelong resident =
of=20
Logan County.

* Mother Jones was the second person =
inducted=20
into the WV Labor History Hallof Honor in 1980-after Walter Reuther. =
WVLHA=20
is presently petitioning the USStamp Office to =
create stamps=20
in honor of Mother Jones and Eugene Debs (whois portrayed by Rick=20
Wilson.)

* On May =
12th,=20
2007 at 7 PM in conjunction with The South Charleston Museum,WVLHA =
will=20
present two new films on WV labor history. The first film, =
"TheBattle of =
Local 5668"=20
directed by Shawn Bennett will have its Appalachianpremiere of a new =
film=20
about the famous 1990 Ravenswood Aluminum Lockout.(WVLHA inducted =
the entire=20
local into its WV Labor Hall of Honor in 1993.)Mr. Bennett is a =
native of=20
Parkersburg, =
WV who has been working in film =
foryears.=20
He will be taping the world premiere event at The La Belle =
Theaterfor use on=20
the DVD release of the film. "AsturianUS" is a new film bySpanish =
filmmaker=20
Luis Argeo. This will be the American premiere of the filmthat had =
its world=20
premiere at The Gijon International Film Festival inNovember 2006 to =
a=20
sold-out audience. In 2005 Mr. Argeo traveled to WestVirginia to make a film about the =
Asturian=20
communities in HarrisonCounty atSpelter and Anmore. =
WVPBS'=20
Outlook program recently aired a story on themaking of this film. It =
can be=20
seen at -http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=3DLuis+Argeo.%20%20%20%=
20.

The film will be =
presented at The=20
Historic La Belle Theater in South=20
Charleston, WV.=20
311 D=20
Street, across from the public =
library.

*=20
WVLHA will be a co-sponsor of the "Preservation Works for West Virginia"conference to be held in =
Wheeling on =
May 17th-19th.=20
Wess Harris, a boardmember, will be one of the speakers. Website -http://www.pawv.org/conf07=
/conf07.htm

*=20
WVLHA will be publishing a new book on ethnic West Virginia called =
"EthnicSampler."=20
Cathy Pleska, a WVLHA board member, is editing the chapter onGreek =
West=20
Virginians. WVLHA will be publishing the chapters on the =
Greekcommunity in=20
WV and showing the film version of Christopher =
Janus'sautobiographical,=20
"Goodbye, Miss Fourth of July" about growing up Greek inMontgomery,=20
WV.

* WVLHA will also be distributing its WV Labor History map to =
8th=20
gradestudents throughout the state using funds given to the =
organization by=20
Gov.Wise.

* Dr. Fred Barkey, =
president=20
emeritus of WVLHA, was chosen to be a WV HistoryHero by the WV State =
Archives in 2007. Steve Fesenmaier was chosen to be aWV History Hero =
in=20
2006. Website - http://www.wvculture.org/history/histhero.html

* Wess =
Harris, a WVLHA=20
board member, recently planted a Service Berry tree at the grave =
site of=20
Cisco Estep who was murdered by the Bull Moose Special in 1913 =
during the WV=20
Mine Wars. He died at Holly Grove on Paint Creek. Harris has taken =
college=20
students from Xavier and St.=20
LouisUniversities as well as =
visiting Irish=20
musicians whose music can be heard on the audio book of "When Miners =
March"=20
by William C. Blizzard.

For more info on WVLHA, contact president =
Gordon=20
Simmons-304-344-2466.

------=_NextPart_000_00E9_01C78675.F968A970--
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.